Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Florida Sportsman

At this point, “Don’t New York My Florida” is a ridiculous statement. Take that sticker off. In my experience, Empire Staters relocating to Florida seasonally or permanently in recent years are looking for the same things we are: Sunshine, lower taxes, great fishing, lower taxes. (Oh by the way, about your property taxes and homeowners’ insurance…) What’s funny to me is, New Yorkers are actually leaving some pretty excellent fishing. Last October I fished the Lower Niagara River with Capt. Joe Marra and his friend Capt. Bruce Blakelock. I’d like to go back. In fact if the weather is good, I’d like to teleport there the first week of May when the guys tell me those PB-class smallmouths are on a prespawn feeding binge. A fair number of hardcore anglers…

“What is that?” My son pointed to the dark shape just underneath the dock, its profile different than any other fish we’d seen in the north Florida pond behind our house. Casting a piece of bread attached to a hook on the end of the kid-sized fishing rod, my husband and I looked over the railing, willing it to bite. With a splash and a tug, the silhouette went after the food, and soon we hauled its slippery form up to the dock. In the pond we’ve seen carp and catfish, bluegill and bass, perch and gar, but we have never, ever, seen a fish with so many teeth. A few Google searches later and we realized why: We had just caught a pacu, a fish species native to South…

Offshore fishing in South Florida can be great in May. The heat of the summer hasn’t set in yet and the cold of the winter is past us now. Tropical systems may be in our future, but for the most part the weather in May is quite comfortable and the seas mostly calm. With conditions like this, big blackfin tunas, a few nice sailfish, large kingfish, big mahi mahi, wahoo, bonitos, and a possible cobia or two are on the menu on or near the surface. On the bottom, gag and red groupers are in season and are available this month but not dependable. Mutton snappers and big amberjacks are spawning and can school in big numbers over hard bottom and artificial reefs. Anglers heading offshore for the day need…

There are two best times to fish in Southwest Florida and we have just entered the beginning of the first. May is really a sweet spot to be fishing around here. May’s weather is consistent as we transition toward summer, but without all the rain. Anglers can expect many calm mornings with light easterly winds followed up with an afternoon sea breeze for months to come. Water temperatures are perfect now as they range from 75 degrees at the beginning of the month to 83 degrees by month’s end. Fish are very active now and fishing will be great inshore, nearshore, and offshore. With many of our seasonal residents gone now, fish are a lot less pressured only adding to the great experience. Bait is now plentiful and fish throughout…

After the annual four-month closure, bottom fishermen will get a shot at groupers starting May 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. Up for grabs are “shallow water” species like gag, black, red and scamp grouper that tend to inhabit the 80- to 300-foot depths. The deeper water (think 500-foot plus) snowy grouper can be harvested until June 30, while another deep species, yellowedge groupers, remain open year-round. I’d say the most important skill in grouper fishing is high proficiency with boat handling. The ability to strategically position a boat directly over a specific section of reef or ledge is vital in keeping baits where grouper live, especially when the Gulf Stream current snakes in closer to shore. GPS-enabled trolling motors are ideal for this type of fishing. If the…

CORRECTION: Last month we published the wrong address for the Everglades “Rescue the River of Grass” campaign. Please visit www.everglades.org/rescue to sign! At least once a year I touch on issues most of us don’t need reminding about, such as being a sober skipper or nixing plastic water bottles on your boat. Or tips on proper fish handling and release techniques. While reading these columns you were probably thinking, at least I’m hoping some of you were, “Of course I do this.” Even so, I’m sure there were a few of us that could use the reminder. Especially considering what’s at stake. In all of these “do-gooder” type columns, even though most were pretty simple asks, there are consequences if we ignore them. Such as limiting our access…

R&R TACKLE LIVE BAIT BUCKET TUBE SWEET SETUP here for livebait fishing, where keeping hooked baits ready to deploy can make a day. The R&R Tackle Live Bait Bucket Tube is similar to a tuna tube but sized for smaller baits.The 6-hole configuration (shown) is ideal for herrings, goggle-eyes and other popular kite and drift baits. The 4-hole model is good for slightly larger baits such as bullet bonito. It comes as a complete package, matched with a durable, nonslip YETI bucket and pre-installed 1-inch inlet and 1.25-inch outlet hose barbs. Add a pump on the inlet side (tee off of a livewell pump of 1000-2000 GPH, or use saltwater washdown) to push water through the bucket and oxygenate the baits—you may find they come out friskier than they went…

NO MATTER how long you’ve been tying flies, you’ve likely learned the ins and outs by trial-and-error. Not that there’s any shortage of insightful instruction at your fingertips in this information age. I did not have that luxury back in “the day” when I started, in 1970! A couple of fly-tying books with black-and-white drawings had to suffice. But there are a few tips I can pass along, some borrowed, some that may be my discoveries (again, may be) that will make your tying easier. Let’s go! COMFORT The first order of business is to be comfortable when tying. If you are not, you won’t enjoy it or spend as much time at the vise. You might even experience real discomfort. And your position in relation to your vise is…

This recipe is based on a New England codfish cake often served for breakfast in that part of the country. However, here we use succulent blue crab meat instead of fish pieces. The beauty of this dish is you can make most of it ahead and refrigerate overnight; no need to do it all before breakfast or brunch. Your family and friends will be speechless. (Yields 8 cakes). INGREDIENTS AND METHOD 1 lb. blue crab cooked picked meat, set aside2 medium sized Russet potatoes peeled½ tsp. sea salt½ tsp. pepper1 Tbsp. olive oil spread (or similar) Boil potatoes until just cooked, drain and mash with salt pepper and olive oil spread. Refrigerate until cool. 1 tsp. olive oil1 tsp. paprika1 tsp. sea salt1 tsp. black pepper1 cup finely chopped red…

Knives and cutting tools have been inseparable from humans for a long time. Early man made and used primitive knives over a million years before he controlled fire. He may have lived in a cold cave and cursed the dark, but he had a knife! The earliest knives were made of stone chips or sharp shells used for slicing or scraping, but knives quickly evolved to become essential for obtaining and preparing food, as well as for protection, and survival. Knives in different forms not only influenced man’s early development, but also his evolution. Today, cutting tools are integral to everything humans do from food preparation to spacecraft. Knives need to be sharp to be useful. I know a knifemaker who is fond of saying, “A dull knife is just…

As summertime temperatures take hold of the 10,000 Islands Region, offshore and nearshore fishing options heat up as well. This time of year, offshore wrecks and live rock bottom near-shore provide perfect feeding spots for schools of red grouper. Red grouper are very well known in this region as the main grouper species to target. They are highly sought after as prized game and amazing quality as table fare. Red grouper can be found throughout the Gulf of America and along the Atlantic coast occasionally extending as far north as New England. Living most of their juvenile stages of life inshore, at about 4-6 years of age they begin to venture further offshore where they eventually settle on the shallower edges of the continental shelf. Once they become established offshore,…

The action is heating up along with the temperature inshore and in the Gulf of America. All waters in the offshore, nearshore, and inshore areas are alive with bait and action in the West Central Region as spawning and migration activities begin. It’s big game fishing for tarpon along the beaches, but heading out into the bluewater arena will set the stage for some muscle-burning action with big grouper, amberjacks, wahoo, kingfish, marlin, sailfish, dolphin, tuna, and others that can test your tackle and your skills. May 1 is the final day of stone crab season. Traps will come out of the water, eliminating a lot of temporary mini reefs that tripletail and a few other species tend to hang on. These fish are delicious, and one last passing shot…

Is there a better month out of the year than May? I think not. The north winds that have kept us off the ocean for our seemingly endless winter, are finally subsiding. The Gulf Stream is generally getting closer to the 28-fathom ledge, and that is great news for the bluewater trollers. While 68 miles is a long ride to get to “the ledge” it seems shorter on a calm day in May. It is common for weedlines to start creeping closer to the 21-fathom area in May. For the fishermen who try to be at the ledge at daylight, be aware you’re running the risk of running over the fish in the dark. I like making a quick stop on a nearshore rip to see who’s home. If the…

The sweet smell of the summer transition has arrived. If you don’t have any fishing days planned this month, request several days off now before someone else does. These are the glory days before the heat of the summer and crowds become overwhelming. Menhaden will start to show themselves in large schools in the bays and bayous, the warmer blue waters offshore are getting closer, and the beach will come to life with giant schools of jack crevalle and tarpon. One of the biggest changes across the board is the influx of bait. Instead of casting shrimp and artificial lures for redfish and trout inshore, it’s time to break out the cast net. Large schools of menhaden will show up in the bay, but only in areas close to a…

MAY MAY 3-4: Tom Thumb Bull & Cow Dolphin Tournament, Marathon. www.marathonoffshoretournament.com MAY 3-4: Nick Sheahan Dolphin Rodeo, Tavernier. www.nicksheahan.com MAY 3-10: Bob Traa Faro Blanco Tarpon Tournament, Marathon. Call 614-266-7303 MAY 10: Fishing Frenzy Dolphin Tournament, Fort Pierce. www.stluciechamber.org MAY 17: Saltwater Shootout, Pompano Beach. www.bluewatermovements.com MAY 19-21: Golden Fly Tarpon Tournament, Islamorada. www.goldenfly.org MAY 23-24: Treasure Coast Builders Association Fishing Tournament, Stuart. www.fishtcba.com MAY 24-SEPT. 1: CCA Star Tournament, Statewide. www.ccaflstar.com MAY 30-31: Kingfish Tournament and Fishing Rodeo, Fernandina Beach. www.nsfa.profishingtournaments.com MAY 31: Florida Redfish Series, St. Augustine. www.flredfishseries.com MAY 31: Blue Water Open, Sebastian. www.fishingforcharity.org/bluewateropen JUNE JUNE 6-8: Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce Dolphin Tournament, Big Pine Key. www.lowerkeyschamber.com JUNE 6-8: Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo, Perdido Key. www.florabama.com JUNE 10-12: Ladies Tarpon Fly Tournament, Islamorada. www.ladiestarponfly.org JUNE 14:…

YOU SEE IT EVERY DAY on a Florida waterway somewhere. A boater speeding along, wind in his hair, smile spread wide across his face. His closest friends fill the seating areas of the outboard-powered center console. As you turn to hear the thumping bass from the boat’s sound system (that costs as much as the vessel’s navigation electronics), you realize he’s completely oblivious to the clearly labeled channel marker he’s happily cruising by on the wrong side. National Safe Boating Week is celebrated annually during the 7-day period leading up to Memorial Day, May 17-23 in 2025. Perhaps nowhere are safe boating practices more important than in Florida where there are greater than 1 million registered vessels, plus an unknown number of out-of-state registered vessels each year in state waters.…

After a decade of punishing algal blooms, seagrass has returned to parts of the Indian River Lagoon, and scientists are asking for anglers’ help tracking its rebound. For the month of May, outdoor recreationists can use their smartphones to document seagrass in the lagoon during Florida Sea Grant’s “Eyes on Seagrass” campaign. Simply snap photos of the bottom of the lagoon and answer a few questions to help scientists measure seagrass recovery throughout the 156-mile-long waterway. The lagoon lost 70 percent of its seagrass during a vicious cycle of pollution-fueled algal blooms from 2011 to 2021, with some parts left completely barren. Over the past few years, seagrass has been making promising gains in the Mosquito Lagoon and northern and southern Indian River Lagoon. “’Eyes on Seagrass’ is really exciting…

LOOKING FOR a fish that is easy to catch, puts up a great fight, and is excellent to eat? The freshwater nonnative fish called the Mayan cichlid checks all the boxes. They are flat out fun to catch! Pack your bags and head to South or Central Florida for loads of fish-catching action. Mayan cichlids are a nonnative freshwater fish first documented in Florida Bay during 1983. Over the years, their population has exploded, and “Mayans” can be found in almost any freshwater and brackish water body in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties as well as select bodies of water as far north as Brevard County on the east coast and Hillsborough County on the west coast of Florida. Nicknamed “the atomic sunfish” for such an aggressive and tough…

May is the peak month for the springtime fishing for which the Florida Keys are known. Most of the species sought here are in large numbers. The weather is amazing. It’s time for anglers to come on down and get some of these species off the bucket list. One phenomenon that happens in the Florida Keys region every May is the palolo worm hatch. The worm is a fascinating marine creature known for its unique reproductive behavior, particularly in the Florida Keys. They’re notable for their vibrant green color and can grow up to 10 inches long. The hatch occurs in specific lunar cycles, typically in late spring or early summer when the moon is full. During this time, the worms swim to the surface of the water in large…

Astronomically speaking, the summer solstice is the first “official” day of summer (which is June 20 this year). We all know that Florida doesn’t abide by the rules though. The average high in Palm Beach in May is 84 degrees. Top that with a bit of humidity and your sweat glands are put to work. Some look forward to the summer heat, some don’t, but let’s make lemonade and take advantage of the great fishing that unfolds come the warmer months. I have a hard time not talking about the congregations of jumbo jack crevalle when they are in town. They’re just plain fun and one heck of a way to test tackle and willingness to pull like hell on a fish. These fish school along the beaches as they…

Offshore up to two miles, it’s officially trout month for this region. These fish have returned and dispersed in full force from hidden haunts and refuges still undiscovered. They’re hungry enough to grab most plastics, spoons and even topwater plugs, since the water temp will have reached 80 degrees or more. If floating grass is a problem, forget the topwaters and use something that runs deeper. My crew prefers ¾-ounce gold spoons with treble hooks this month because mackerel have returned, along with hordes of ladyfish and occasional bluefish. I still consider it fun to jump dozens of big ladyfish during the day, while scratching up a limit of keeper trout with a slot size of 15 to 19 inches. Our favorite trout are chunky 18-inch fish, and we release…

Sometimes good fishing exists right under our noses. We often succumb to the notion that travel is necessary to find good fishing, when often that’s simply not the case. Tallahassee has several small lakes within the city that provide great fishing opportunities. Piney Z is one of several locations that are easily accessible and well-suited for fishing. This 200-acre lake is part of the Lafayette Heritage Park on the east side of the city. Only electric motors and hand launching are permitted. The boat launch is close to the road, making it convenient for carrying canoes and kayaks. It happens to be one of the prairie lakes that formed in the area over 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age. The lake boasts a diverse array of fish species, including…